The Alaskan Adventure - Volume 13 - Forging Friendships and New Firsts
I kick myself sometimes, because I wish that I would post more frequently when there are so many things going on here and they might be more interesting happening in real time. It's okay though. The events are all still very exciting and they're a great addition to the adventure. As the title expresses, the last seven weeks have allowed me a lot of growth in the village with both friendships and opportunities to do things for the first time.
Probably the most exciting addition was my purchase of a four-wheeler. Almost considered a must if you are going to live in the village permanently. It not only allows you the convenience of getting around a lot easier, but the opportunities to travel outside the village and around the mountain are endless. There were many places around the village that I had never ventured to on foot. Before the ice broke on the river, I had the good fortune to go up river on the rock-trails that ran along the beach of the river and see some of the fish camps that are frequented during the summer and fishing seasons. Then there were the trails up the mountain, trails around the village, trails along the old airport and the list goes on. One convenience I really appreciated was being able to go to the local store and have the four-wheeler to carry my box of food back home. It was usually a decent walk up the steady incline of the road back to my apartment.
I have to say that the best part of the new, four-wheeler was what it did for allowing me to get to know the villagers better. I mentioned that I was forging friendships and it has truly been a great opportunity to really get to know people on a much more personal level. The best part is that it's not just with a couple of guys. It's with not only a lot of guys, but with women, with couples and with whole families. Imagine driving around your neighborhood and when you see someone, you pull up next to them roll down your window (no windows on the Honda's, lol), and you strike up a conversation. It could be at the AC Store, down by any one of the three docks (no docks, open gravel to the water), by the spring, at the dump, by the post office, on the road to the new airport, or even in the middle of the road. Today a friend pulled up on the road, we shut off our four-wheelers and after a short while, another friend pulled up and we were three Hondas deep talking about hunting and catching moose in the fall. Sometimes my friends with kids will pull up with their family of four and we'll 'chew the fat' (talk) for a good fifteen, twenty minutes. And you wouldn't believe it, but the kids no matter how big or small, will sit as quietly or patiently as ever, or are active, enjoyable participants in the conversations. It's amazing and so comforting at the same time. I was brought up in a family where my mom and dad would walk to the surrounding yards of our neighbors and strike up conversations for an hour at a time. I don't believe I could have been put in a better place to carry on that tradition. And I have to say that even if you're not stopping to visit, people will always smile or give a wave to say a respectful hello. I love it. There are good people everywhere and Mountain has its own share of people with issues and struggles. But I just pause and shrug, not knowing what to say sometimes about how grateful I am to be where I am and have the people around me that I do.
May was sad, because it brought a bittersweet and official end to the already unusual, school year we had. I've shared with a lot of people that what made the year exceptionally sad was that I was fortunate enough to have one of the very best group of kids in my twenty-one years of teaching and was having possibly one of the best school years I have ever had. Each school year always allowed the opportunity to have a nice goodbye with a fun end-of-the-year celebration. The fear of the Corona Virus took that away from us this year. A final phone call, or in some cases just a text, is all that I got with each student before saying goodby for the summer. Hard to put into words. The upside of the coming summer was that I was going to be able to see all my students around the village throughout the summer. Not something I ever had the opportunity to have happen during my teaching back in Wisconsin. It's a pretty neat feeling when you're anywhere around the village and you hear kids from every grade shouting out or giving a friendly, "Hi Mr. Matt, or Hey Mr. Matt."
May also allowed for some of those firsts that I mentioned. Since I arrived in August, each new event becomes an exciting first for me. As the weather began to warm the river, the talk of the ice breaking was a big deal in the village. You could first see the ice melting from the shore to about twenty feet to the gargantuan sheet of ice that covered the entire Yukon to the other shore. Everyone was talking about when it would break. Each day we watched, we checked, we watched. Then...one day...it happened. Giant sheets of ice cracked, spun, crunched, 'chingled' and began floating down the river. People talked about huge chunks of the past that would pile up along the shores, creating giant banks of ice that sometimes tore into the shore and landscape. They had not seen that in some time and this year was explained as a moderate year for the ice moving. There were some big buildups near the shore where you would see what would appear as an ice jam, but overall the steady flow of massive sheets of ice made their way down the river. The crunching and crinkling sounds of the ice were like something I had never heard before. The flow was amazing to watch. We never saw it this year, but legends of the past told of people seeing moose and bear floating on sheets of ice where they mistakenly forgot to jump off before the ice broke free. We weren't lucky enough to see that this year.
The breaking of the ice also led way to the river rising. Day to day we saw the shoreline shrink, boat owners dragging boats to higher land to avoid ice damage, waters swallowing the shore that we had just recently traveled up and down river on with our four-wheelers, and our village spring being submerged for an indefinite period of time. Over the course of a few weeks the amount of ice coming from up river was slowly disappearing and bringing the next stage of the spring thaw, logging. Villagers readied their boats and before you knew it, they were out on the water searching out the best logs to be gathered and cut for winter heating. Thousands and thousand of logs made their way down the river. Some were not shy about braving the remaining ice sheets to get some of the first picks from spring logs passing Mountain. And let's be clear here. When I say logs, I'm not talking large sticks. I'm talking about former trees, monstrous trees that had fallen in the river, now mostly limbless, but huge. I was fortunate to be able to go logging a couple of times and it is a fun, but grueling experience. Chainsaws right there on the ice or in the water, roping and dragging the logs behind your boat to the shore, tying the log to a four-wheeler and dragging it back to the respective house for further cutting and splitting. It's a pretty cool process.
The warm weather at the end of May saw the village start to come alive a lot more. While the Covid-19 threat was still in the back of our minds, people here too were itching to get out and live the life they were used to. Things like the thawing river, bird hunting, gathering wild eggs and logging. With the beginning of June I saw the preparation for fishing coming to life. People began preparing their boats, nets and fish camps for the upcoming season. Mountain Village is a big subsistence and commercial fishing village and they are very passionate about what they love to do. And they are very good at it. Early June will bring the movement of the King Salmon up river and a pinnacle time for setting nets and starting the season. As people start catching fish, a common sight will be large quantities of dried fish hanging from outdoor drying racks. Some of the best and most delicious salmon in the world is right in our front yard and nearby Mountain. Soon you will also see people gearing up for berry picking, which is also a staple and popular activity in and around the tundra of Mountain Village. You don't get the amazing and delicious aqutak (Eskimo Ice-Cream) without the delicious salmon, blue and blackberries on the tundra.
Well, June is in full-swing and like I said earlier there are so many things going on it is hard to keep up. June has brought the running of the King Salmon and Chum up river and subsistence fisher-people have been busy checking their 'set' nets and 'drift' nets for hopes of a good catch. I say fisher-people, because there are many talented women as well who have continued long-standing traditions for fishing that have been in their families for years. I had to the opportunity to be a part of harvesting the fish from all aspects (minus drift netting, which I hope to do as the summer subsistence and commercial fishing continues). I can only use the word amazing again as I describe what families do together to work their fish camps. Each camp comes with its own unique share of old stories, traditions and laughter. 50-100 fish are meticulously caught, gutted, fillet, hung on wood beams to dry, taken and dried in smokehouses and packed for winter in a variety of ways. Obviously, much of the fish is prepared for upcoming meals, but each family has its own special traditions of how they like to prepare their fish. And I am also truly impressed by the incredible generosity which people in the village have for taking care of others and making sure everyone - family, friend and neighbor have an opportunity to benefit from each catch. I will also tell you that it is some of the most delicious fish (salmon) that you have 'ever' tasted in your life. I swear that some of the fresh caught King Salmon taste like they've been draped in butter. The oil in their meat absolutely melts in your mouth. Mmmm.
June also brought several deaths to the village and regardless of whether it was old age and a long-life, lived or the tragedy of a young death, it hits deep and resonates throughout the village. We tragically lost a twenty-year-old, young man, another young woman and two very sweet and well-respected, women elders. It was important to me to be a part of those so that I was able to help and honor those who passed, in any way that I could. This village is a part of me now and I want to show my respect in any way that I can. In one passing I was part of a procession for the young man who was one of our honored (VPO) Village Police Officers. I just saw him the day before he passed and it just rips at your heart to realize how quickly life can be taken away. A second funeral I was able to be a part of was for an honored and respected elder in the village. Her life, kindness and how she touched the lives of others in the village was more far reaching than you could imagine. I was very honored to be asked by the family to drive her casket to the church for her service and up the mountain to the cemetery. I was very humbled and grateful to be asked.
Now, I have to tell you that what I have learned and experienced with the funerals in Mountain Village was like nothing I have ever experienced back in Wisconsin in my entire life. Back in Wisconsin I've seen families come together and I've seen how lives were touched by those who had passed. Yet, it is the entire process that is like nothing I have ever seen or heard of before I arrived here, and I have to say it is an absolutely beautiful and touching process. When the news first spreads of a villager's passing, the news is quick and everyone is good to share the heartfelt sadness. As soon as it is possible, the body is brought to the home of the deceased and is peacefully placed in an area of open viewing. The body remains in the home for the community to visit for three or more days depending on the family's wishes. This means the home is open for anyone who wishes to come and pay their respects to the deceased and their family. Tears are shed, stories are shared, laughter is offered when able, food is brought and shared by both visitors and the family, and the community shares in the sorrow and heartfelt respect. One of the local churches also brings their choir each night and sings to the family and guests. It's really nice. The day of the funeral the body is either brought to a local church or the family will have a final celebration of life and goodbyes. From each place, the body is then taken to the cemetery of the family's choice. Some of those who have passed have been taken by boat to cemeteries either up or down river. Many of the villagers who have passed are taken up the mountain to the cemetery that overlooks the village and river. It is at that time that members of the family will say their final goodbyes, place the casket and will fill in the grave themselves. I don't even know what words to use to say how sad, how touching and beautiful the process is as family and friends bury their loved ones and create some of the most beautiful grave sites you have ever seen. I was again very humbled and grateful to be a part of one of the burials and I will remember it for the rest of my life to have been a special part of it.
June also gave me the opportunity to return to the coast and Bering Sea. Last August was a great trip, but this adventure allowed me my first experience to see and watch the catch of Beluga Whales. Depending upon their age the whales are grey, white or a combination of both. We drove for miles in a boat waiting patiently for a whale to show itself. To this day I still cannot believe the incredible skill my friends have acquired over time to simply be able to spot them. This is not out of a page of Moby Dick or whale watching, where the whales will breach the surface and leap out of the water. There is a keen eye needed to watch the waves, as a wave will suddenly reverse its course and reveal a Beluga moving through the water. The driver speeds quickly to the direction of the wave anomaly and the harpooner at the bow of the boat readies his or her harpoon. The driver watches the harpooner and the harpooner carefully watches for the 'footprints', the circular pattern made on the surface from each kick of its tail fin. Good teamwork will allow for the harpoon to be thrown slightly in front of the path of the whale. If the throw is accurate, the whale is speared, the rope unravels to the buoy attached to the end of the spear and the whale is followed. When pursued the whale is shot and brought into the boat. That is what 'would' have happened if we had made it through all of the steps. I was a spotter and obviously not a very good one. My guides had the eyes of an eagle and I couldn't tell a wave from a whale if my life depended upon it. But it was really exciting and I did get to see two whales in the water. Another surprising fact is that we were doing this in 2-4 feet of water, and after 1:00 am in the morning. It never really got dark and we could see clear as the day. The good news for my guides and for the experience was that their cousin had unfortunately caught a small Beluga in his fishing net and was kind enough to offer it to them. So I did get to see one up close and watched another interesting process, seeing the whale cut for food. In a nutshell, they also caught ducks and made several attempts at catching swans and geese as well. The camping was a blast and the Bearing Sea sunsets were breathtaking. The river left no short supply of beautiful smells, sounds and sites as well.
We just had our Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. As I mentioned for the Bering Sea trip, it never really gets dark here. Blackout curtains work wonders, but I have to tell you, the constant light really does something to your mindset. Some nights I'll leave my four-wheeler out and go for a late night ride at 12:00 or 1:00 in the morning. It feels like the day and the weather is so pleasant. You would be surprised how many people are out late enjoying the warm summer nights. I do have to make sure I wear my sunglasses and keep my mouth shut on my rides as the bugs are out in full force. As much as I like my protein, I don't want to be getting it from a mouthful of bugs. I'm sure it's just a joke that they are protein, but you get the picture. I don't know why, but I had the bright idea to do moose calls on a ride not too long ago and had two bugs fly into my mouth at the same time. Needless to say, not a good time to call moose and not a bright idea. Funny at the time, but won't do that again.
There is so much more I could write about, but I'm going to stop there and save some for the end of July. I will say it again, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. This is home. It feels right, and the adventure will continue.
Until next time...stay tuned!
